Brief Introduction of Hemodialysis and Vascular Access

Three main treatment modalities are available to replace the kidney function of patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD): hemodialysis (HD), peritoneal dialysis (PD) and renal transplantation. In the United States, a steady increase in the prevalence of ESRD was observed between 1980 and 2016, and the majority of patients used HD as their renal replacement therapy. Arteriovenous fistula (AVF) placement is increasingly challenging due to the demographic changes in the ESRD population. Individualized patient care is therefore needed when planning for vascular access placement. The use of home hemodialysis is rising over the past decade but vascular access-related events remain a potential risk.